Come and Behold Him E-Book

BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Seitenzahl: 90

Beschreibung

Christmas is often called the most wonderful time of the year—and with good reason. Homes become festive and cozy. Families spend time together, making memories to last a lifetime. Love-filled gifts are wrapped and placed under the tree. Christmas lights bathe everything in a soft glow. And, don't forget those favorite family recipes that take over kitchen counters and dining room tables. Is there anything more special than the holiday season? This devotional will encourage you to spend time with God in the days leading up to the celebration of the most precious gift: his Son. Come and behold the wonder of Jesus and experience life, joy, and peace during the busyness of this season.

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BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC.

Savage, Minnesota, USA

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COME AND BEHOLD HIM

© 2019 by BroadStreet Publishing®

978-1-4245-6002-8

978-1-4245-6033-2 (ebook)

Devotional entries composed by Michelle Cox and Julie Lavender.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ Scripture quotations marked (NCV) are taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (TPT) are taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission of BroadStreet Publishing. All rights reserved.

Design by Chris Garborg | garborgdesign.com

Editorial services by Michelle Winger | literallyprecise.com

Printed in China.

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The Lord himself will give you a sign.

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name Immanuel.

ISAIAH 7:14 ESV

Contents

Introduction

Humble Surroundings

A Sweet Recipe

A Holy Night

Good News

A Long Way to Go

Praying Like a Child

Gifts from the Heart

The Aromas of Christmas

A Memorable Christmas

I Love You More

The Most Special Gift

A Helping of Wisdom

One Flame

A Reminder

This Is for You

Holding Heaven

Make Haste

Sharing Christmas

A Lowly Setting

Treasures for the Heart

Leftover Christmas Cards

A New Adventure

Serving Others

Seeking Jesus

The Christmas Journal

Light in the Darkness

The First Christmas Baby

Fear Not

The Imperfect Tree

After Christmas

The Christmas Story

Introduction

Christmas is often called the most wonderful time of the year—and with good reason. Our homes become festive and cozy. Children are so full of excitement it’s a wonder they don’t pop. Families spend time together, making memories to last a lifetime. Community buildings and churches feature gorgeous decorations. Sets are painted for Christmas plays, and choirs practice beautiful music that fills the air with joy.

Love-filled gifts are wrapped and placed under our trees. Christmas lights bathe everything in a soft glow. Villages with tiny figurines line our mantles and tables, and trees laden with ornaments, lights, and garland make us smile.

And, oh my, the delightful foods that we enjoy at Christmas! Everyone makes their specialties, often gathering the entire family to bake lopsided sugar cookies or a favorite family recipe.

The dining table looks like a page from a magazine, piled high with platters of meat, countless sides, and so many desserts it looks like we could feed everyone in the neighborhood.

Is there anything more special than the holiday season? After all, it’s a birthday party for Jesus. Nothing could possibly be more important than celebrating the birth of that baby in the manger, and Christmas gives us the chance to worship him.

Let each day of this devotional draw you in as you come to behold the wonder of Jesus and celebrate the one who changed the world forever.

Humble Surroundings

“Today in the town of David

a Savior has been born to you;

he is the Messiah, the Lord.

This will be a sign to you:

You will find a baby wrapped in cloths

and lying in a manger.”

LUKE 2:11-12 NIV

COME AND BEHOLD A SAVIOR

WHO IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, is the largest privately-owned home in the United States. Guests can purchase tickets to tour the ornate castle-like house that is filled with priceless historical treasures and enjoy the grounds with their breathtaking views of the mountains, intricately designed gardens, and quaint stables.

Without any doubt, the best time to visit the Biltmore Estate is at Christmas. Candle-lit luminaries line the massive driveway, guiding the way into the one-of-a-kind home. The banquet hall features a live 35-foot tree that takes about fifty men to carry in, and that tree only goes halfway toward the top of the seventy-foot ceiling. Hundreds of poinsettias flood the house, and in the days leading to Christmas, choirs and stringed quartets fill the hallways with lovely Christmas carols.

Flickering candles add to the ambiance, and there’s even a whole pig roasting on the spit in the kitchen fireplace. It smells really good in there. It’s impossible to leave the estate without being in the Christmas spirit.

This massive home—built many years ago by a rich and famous family—is an impressive place to visit, but most of us would never feel at home there because we don’t feel like we fit into that world of expensive luxury. And that should make us think about something: God could have sent his Son to earth in any manner he chose. It would have been fitting for the Savior of the universe to be born into one of these luxurious homes.

But that’s not how God did it because he knew that many of us would never be comfortable in those circumstances. Instead, God sent Jesus to us in humble surroundings, in the lowly place where the animals slept, so all of us would feel at ease to come close to him.

What a special gift this Christmas to know that the Savior who created the world is accessible to each of us. He’s available to be our comforter, our provider, our guide, and our friend.

Jesus, thank you for humbling yourselfso you’re approachable for all of us. I’m grateful that the welcome mat is always out at the foot of the cross, and that those who come to you will always be greeted with love and grace.

A CHRISTMAS GIFT

Purchase an unbreakable manger set so children can be hands-on with it. Consider cutting small lengths of hay that the children can add to the manger when they do something nice—to help cushion it for the baby Jesus. On Christmas Eve, let the children (and maybe even some of the big kids) put the figures into place as your family reads the Christmas story together.

A Moment to Ponder

Take a few moments to think about a Savior who is big enough to create the world, yet willing to humble himself for us.

A Sweet Recipe

That you and I may be mutually encouraged

by each other’s faith.

ROMANS 1:12 NIV

BE GRATEFUL FOR OPPORTUNITIES

TO COME AND BEHOLD JESUS AS YOU

FELLOWSHIP TOGETHER AT CHRISTMAS.

I love to host Christmas parties for family and friends. Several years ago, I came up with an idea that led to a fun, easy, and amazingly delicious Christmas get-together. I invited about fifteen of my girlfriends to come to my house one morning during the holidays and asked them to bring a sweet item and a savory dish that they wanted to try from posts on Pinterest or Facebook. Since most of us are good at saving these recipes but never actually making them, this would give us the opportunity to try more than thirty new recipes.

I instructed the attendees to do the prep work at home and then we all gathered in my kitchen to finish preparing the recipes together. It was so much fun! We laughed while we cooked. There were cheesy potatoes and a chicken casserole. There were spiced pecans and appetizers, all beautifully decorated for Christmas. There were Christmas-tree-topped cupcakes with the best buttercream frosting we’d ever had. And the list went on and on.

Once the recipes were completed and everything had been arranged on the kitchen island, we were all blown away with how beautiful everything looked. It was a feast for the eyes. Once we started sampling all the newly-prepared foods, we realized it was also a feast for the taste buds.

We discovered some definite keepers and a few recipes that didn’t look anything like what they had in the pictures. The food was terrific, but what made the day so special was the sweet fellowship that we all had as we celebrated the reason for the season. We talked about our families, Christmas, and precious moments we’d had with God.

We shared about God’s faithfulness, about the blessings he’s given us, and about the gift of our friendship. That time together was so awesome, and we were grateful for the opportunity to come and behold him as we fellowshipped together at Christmas.

Delightful treats. Special friends. A sweet time together as we celebrated Christmas and who it is all about. It truly doesn’t get much better than that.

Lord, I thank you for the gift of family and friends. I’m especially grateful for friends who also love you, and for the sweet fellowship we have as we celebrate you at Christmas.

A CHRISTMAS GIFT

Consider hosting a Christmas party for people who are sometimes left out of those celebrations. Invite a group of single parents, senior citizens, or those who have just moved into the community. You don’t have to do anything fancy or elaborate. A warm welcome will be a special gift to them (and one that will please the heart of God) this Christmas.

A Moment to Ponder

Why is Christmas such a special time to fellowship with friends who also love God?

A Holy Night

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD!

PSALM 150:6 NASB

COME AND BEHOLD HIM IN WORSHIP

AND THANK HIM FOR A HOLY NIGHT

THAT CHANGED THE WORLD FOREVER.

W